3 Israelis evicted from paradiseThree Israelis told by Fijian immigration officer that they cannot enter country for mistreating Palestinians during military service

Itamar Eichner
Published: 08.08.06, 15:26 / Israel News

Three Israeli backpackers were evicted from Fiji after a Muslim immigration officer ruled that they had humiliated Palestinians during their military service in the territories.

The three – Amit Ronen, Eldar Avracohen, and Nimrod Lahav – left Israel in February for a tour in Australia.

In July they decided to spend a week in Fiji. On July 13 they arrived at Fiji airport where a surprise awaited them.

"We gave our passports to the officer, and when she saw we are Israelis she asked for ID cards. We told her we don't understand why we need ID cards and she responded shouting: 'You know very well how to ask Palestinians for IDs and humiliate them for three years."

That's what Avracohen wrote in a complaint letter he sent to Israel's Ambassador to Australia Nati Tamir.

The three were held at Fiji airport for six hours and officials rebuked their pleas to be allowed to make a phone call.

Armed policemen took them to a cell at the airport where they spent the night before being sent back to Australia.

"I don't look like a terrorist and there is no reason to point a gun at me," Nimrod Lahav wrote in a letter to ambassador Tamir.

Avracohen wrote that the incident was the most humiliating experience he had ever gone through.​

I agree. The three visitors behaved despicably by questioning and arguing with the instructions of the immigration officer. They should have ponied up their ID cards and gone with the flow. The hypocrisy is staggering.

I agree. The three visitors behaved despicably by questioning and arguing with the instructions of the immigration officer. They should have ponied up their ID cards and gone with the flow. The hypocrisy is staggering.

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Can you imagine the uproar if a US TSA/ Immigration official behaved as such (cue the posts that claim they already do)?

That person is an employee of the Fijian government and should have acted as such. It appears that Fiji and Israel enjoy great relations. I'll be interested to see how the Fijian gov't responds.

I wouldn't care if she owned a backpacking hostel and didn't want to rent them a room or similar.

I agree. The three visitors behaved despicably by questioning and arguing with the instructions of the immigration officer. They should have ponied up their ID cards and gone with the flow. The hypocrisy is staggering.

What's an "ID card" and why did they need one?
How did the immigration officer know that they were the ones "humiliating" palestinians?
Why does an Fijian immigration officer believe that its up to her to dish out "pay backs" for her own bias view of the Israel/Palestine conflict.

What's an "ID card" and why did they need one?
How did the immigration officer know that they were the ones "humiliating" palestinians?
Why does an Fijian immigration officer believe that its up to her to dish out "pay backs" for her own bias view of the Israel/Palestine conflict.

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Excellent points.

If the young men had committed some actionable behavior, then go through the formal legal process. Seems like officially sanctioned vigilante behavior by a government employee.

Also, I wasn't aware that one needed to carry ID beyond Passport when traveling. Is that required? In all my travels, I have never been asked for anything but my Passport.

in the israeli/palestinian issue i tend to side with the palestinians, but this is ridiculous and completely unwarranted.
The Fiji Gov should formally apologize to the tourists and the officer should be fired.
If a US Immigration Officer would do something like this to visitors from a country he/she has issues with (even if the issues are founded) we'd be enraged, and rightly so.

A little petty, but after experiencing the incredibly rude Israeli immigration officers while entering Israel at the Allenby bridge crossing I don't feel sorry for these guys, and they probably deserved it.

A little petty, but after experiencing the incredibly rude Israeli immigration officers while entering Israel at the Allenby bridge crossing I don't feel sorry for these guys, and they probably deserved it.

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Eh, the officials I encountered at Ben Gurion International were perfectly pleasant given their jobs.

sorry but immigration screwed up. I would call this pretty blatant discrimination.
No ifs and or buts about it. This was nothing more than someone on a power trip and abusing it. Now of course immigration is going to back their employee publicly like they should but still I have a feeling said employee will not be employed much longer in that spot.

That is my though as well. I know my TX ID is not going to be valid in any other country as an ID. It is good in the US and that is about it. Sure as hell not going to work elsewhere. Now my US passport would work as my ID all over the world.

Can you imagine the uproar if a US TSA/ Immigration official behaved as such (cue the posts that claim they already do)?

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The TSA doesn't have the authority to detain people, although many officers would like to think that they do.

CBP and INS, though, has had many rogue stations in the past where racism and xenophobia were openly practiced. Look up cases like "Deportland," the name given to the FIS station at PDX in the late nineties. Even today, it's not uncommon for me to see Middle Easterners pulled out of the passport control line and taken into secondary screening before ever interacting with an officer.

Eh, the officials I encountered at Ben Gurion International were perfectly pleasant given their jobs.

As you probably know, it wasn't a good idea to enter via Jordan.

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Yeah, Ben Gurion wasn't as bad, and that's exactaly what the border patrol agent told us. But in the end it probably was a good idea to enter from Jordan as it let me see all the crap the Israeilis put the Palestinians through. The customs officials there pretty much completely sold me on the Palestinians cause.

Yeah, Ben Gurion wasn't as bad, and that's exactaly what the border patrol agent told us. But in the end it probably was a good idea to enter from Jordan as it let me see all the crap the Israeilis put the Palestinians through. The customs officials there pretty much completely sold me on the Palestinians cause.

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The fact that all that it took was a couple of customs officials to sell you on a cause says a lot about you.

The fact that all that it took was a couple of customs officials to sell you on a cause says a lot about you.

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No need to be so dismissive. The realities of living under military occupation are glossed over far too often by the US Press. I didn't realise the article was five years old, of course, but nevertheless, an occasional non-violent guerilla reality check does a welcome service to our perception. I assume the woman was fired, but I also expect she still thinks it was worth it.

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